The regenerating doctor
by Lozzacisco
Summary: What would happen if a TmeLord didn't regenerate?
1. Goodbye chin boy

A chain around her neck a key dangling down from that. Her thumb. Following the ridged edge of eyes welled up with tears holding the key now freezing cold to her mouth she whispered into it "goodbye chin boy" her brunette hair playing around in the wind standing on the edge of a cloud with the TARDIS behind her. The sky a deep blue starting to bring some new snow onto the ground below, with children playing with it their giggles brought a smile to Clara's face, she has always been happy to hear children laugh even in the the current state she was in. She fell to her knees crying with her head in her hands. Her dress sprawled across the ground around her. The doctor wanted to show Clara when he first really saw her face, and fell in love with it.

"Clara. Clara. I know you can hear me." The doctors voice seemed to be traveling with the wind.  
Clara lifted her head trying to find the source of the noise she looked back to the doctors body still laying there lifeless. She reached out to touch the doctors delicate skin, to clasp his jaw line like he did when she was scared to comfort him.  
"No. Don't touch my body" the doctors voice appeared again making Clara jump.  
"I'm regenerating don't touch me. Leave me be just get back to the TARDIS and she will take you home."  
"No" Clara yelled up into the wind "I'm not leaving you here not alone!"  
"Clara I will be fine just leave." the doctors voice now becoming a plea  
The doctors skin starting to become covered by this golden dust creating strings reaching up into the night some being caught by the cross winds. Clara now standing up slowly easing backwards into the TARDIS. Part of her wanted to stay with the man that she had fallen in love with but the other half wanted to run afraid of what will happen to the doctor and herself  
The key that the doctor had given to her as a present of traveling one year with the crazy man himself. The key to the TARDIS. His TARDIS she had never had to use it. she ripped it from her neck breaking the delicate chain that had been holding it perfectly into place. Clara looking back to the man that had given her the chance to travel places she would never have dreamed of going. Only seeing the photos that her mum had put into her book 101 Places To See. Her hand now clasped around the handle of the blue box the lock just below it. She put the key in the hole with no hesitation and turned it,the TARDIS coming to life again. Clara opened up the door quickly and shut it behind her. She looked up at the ceiling mimicking what the doctor did when ever he talked to her like she was a real person.  
"Now. I know we don't get along" Clara started coming to the hexagonal shape in the middle of the room. The ship made a noise like she was agreeing with Clara.  
"But please tell me that the doctor will be safe."  
There was silence in the room for a while. Clara now looking questioningly at all the different buttons on the giggled at herself thinking that she just talked to a machine. Found a button that didn't seem to dangerous to press. Her hand hovered over the button for a moment and she pressed it, recoiling her hand back.  
A figure appeared by the entrance of the ship. Someone she had seen before but she couldn't remember where. It was a woman with ginger hair. One thing that the doctor had always wanted ginger hair Clara smiled at this and continued examining the figure.  
"Hello?" Clara asked  
"Hello" a thick Irish ascent came through.  
"Wha?... Why... I mean I didn't see you come in" Clara said slowly and cautiously trying to remember. She edged closer to the figure.  
"Are.. Are.. Are you? Are you an old friend like river?" Clara asked Trying ti get the situation clear in her head. Clara had met river well.. Sort of in a recent adventure to Trenzalore.  
"Ha no, I'm not like that but I am related?" The woman replied  
Clara now very confused looking at the woman.  
"I'm his mother-in-law." The woman added  
Clara stood there in shock.  
"Can you...can you fly it?" Clara asked gesturing to the centre console. Before the woman could answer Clara asked another question.  
"What's your name?"  
"Well I'm Amy, Amy pond the doctor might have mentioned me? And no I can't fly this TARDIS"  
"What do you mean by this TARDIS? I thought he only had one?" Clara asked another question thinking out loud.  
"You seem to be asking a lot of questions well Ill answer your questions when you answer mine? You seem familiar have I seen you before? What's your name?" Amy asked.  
"That is two questions and to answer them the doctor said that he had seen me before and how I died twice but that has something I do with me jumping into his time stream or something. But I don't believe we have met. I'm Clara Oswald" Clara replied  
Amy replied "Oswin?"  
"The doctor called me that too what does it mean?" Clara asked once again hungry for information.  
Amy felt uncomfortable about the question she moved around awkwardly and she pulled on her shirt.  
"It... It was someone that.. Saved us in the Dalek asylum you look like her that's all." Amy remarked still playing around with her shirt, pulling on it tugging it moving it around awkwardly.  
"Well whoever she is she must have made a big impact on the doctor when ever he says her name he seems to flinch." Clara added.  
"Yes well she was.. She saved his life he owes her a lot" Amy now coming towards Clara next to the console. The TARDIS made a screech then changing her interior to what she used to be like with the bronze finishes and all the bits an do dads that the TARDIS used to enclose (including blue boringers) Amy rushing around the console like the doctor did when he had found some where that Clara and himself may find their next adventure, Clara running after her.  
Clara was amazed that Amy new her way around the TARDIS as well as she did.  
"Amy can you tell me something?" Clara said stopping in front of a panel with some carvings and things that she didn't understand.  
"Yes" Amy replied not looking up from what she was doing just like the doctor did Clara thought that you can certainly tell that they are related.  
"Can you..can you tell me wether the doctor will be fine?" Clara asked awkwardly running her fingers along the edgings on the panel she was standing in front of.  
Amy stopped and looked up staring at the middle of the TARDIS,Clara could tell that Amy didn't know the answer but she tried her best to keep Clara feeling safe.  
"Um. Yes. Yes he will be fine he's a TimeLord he will be fine." Amy said making an awkward smile.  
"Why would you ask that question? What's happened to him?"  
"He said he was regenerating or something? He said he will be fine but I don't know?"  
Amy working way frantically trying to get the TARDIS to co-operate.  
"COME ON.. I know you want to save the doctor as much as I do so please just help me!" Amy yelled at the top of her lungs to the TARDIS  
"Where are we going?" Clara asked  
"To get someone that can help."


	2. Someone who can help

**Ok this is the second 'chapter' reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanx :)**

"And that would be who exactly?" Clara asked  
"River." Amy replied  
They both opened the doors of the TARDIS together and they both stepped out. River standing right in front of them.  
"Hello sweeties" River remarked  
"Hello" Amy and Clara said at the same time stunned it was like river was waiting for them. River was holding her blue book as she always does.  
"Where are we up to?" River remarked opening up her book to a page and flicking through it.  
"The doctor he is regenerating." A very distressed Clara said quickly  
"Come on then. what are you waiting for" River pushed both of the woman apart getting into the TARDIS, Amy and Clara following closely behind.  
"Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not very good at this time thing bit I'm pretty sure to fly the TARDIS you have to have some where to go? So Amy how did you find River?" Clara quizzically asked with Amy and River rushing around the centre console. They both stopped looked at each other like how could the doctor have picked her he couldn't be that desperate.  
"I also have a I thought that the angels took you and you could never be recovered I mean I know you are my mother but you can't be that good."  
The TARDIS made a noise and Amy changed her ascent from the thick Scottish ascent to a very mechanical tone.  
"TARDIS voice recognition activated. I fed Amy information to find River. I know the doctor needs help and I have helped in the only way possible."  
"Is that. The TARDIS? And Amy is your mother!?"Clara exclaimed with river moving closer to Amy.  
"I think it is but I can't be sure she can do a lot better. I guess that while the doctor is regenerating her energy is being drained too so she must be running low on power." River replied pressing some other buttons and pulling levers.  
The TARDIS made a squeal and changed its interior back to what Clara remembers it was with Amy walking over to Clara.  
Clara breathing heavily and having river near wasn't very comforting she just wanted the doctor to be with the once again and hold her and and kiss her for-head and clasp her jawline and tell her that everything will be ok.  
"We're here" River sung feeling proud of herself that she still has it.  
"Now when we get out there don't be surprised if he looks completely different and is a little bit out of it." River paused "well more than what he usually is" River giggled to herself.  
Amy was in front Clara in the middle and River in the back they were a line of the doctors closest friends and they wanted to save him. They all looked at each other and looked at the door and opened it.


	3. A jealous River Song

**A big thak you to Underkastelse for giving me very helpful comments this is a very intense chapter. Reviews appreciated Thanx :)**

"Doctor!" Clara yelled as she ran to his body. She was the first to react to what happened she ran over to where she had left him. The doctor trying to sit up from where he was laying. Clara looked confused  
"But I thought. I thought you were regenerating." Clara commented.  
River opened her mouth to Speak but Amy stopped her. "Let her figure it out herself if she is as smart as the doctor has said she is. She will figure it out"  
"Clara! My Clara you are safe. I said to never come back but you did." The doctors face came alive seeing the site of his impossible girl.  
"Doctor? But your. Your face its the same?" Clara added as she edged forward holding out her hand to touch him. The doctor held out his arms to hug Clara not realising that Amy and River were both standing there. Clara ran over to the doctor and embraced him she squeezed him tight not wanting to let him go. The doctor buried his face into her shoulders and her hair. At this moment River was watching all of this unfold and she had to look away she couldn't see her husband with anyone else. Amy put her arm around River to comfort her.  
"You know he will always have feelings towards you. But she obviously has feelings for him and she is just taking in the moment. It could have been you?" Amy explained trying to comfort River.  
"I know that but he should be able to see that I'm there and I should be getting that hug not her." River added pointing towards the doctor and Clara still embracing. The doctor looked up with strands of Clara's hair still sticking to his face.  
"River?" The doctor pulled away from Clara's arms and walked towards both Amy and River. She stepped forward towards him.  
"Hello sweetie" River remarked with a tear rolling down her cheek. "I think we need to have a little chat." River added as she held out her hand and pulled the doctor into the TARDIS. The doctor shut the doors behind him  
"You don't understand I didn't. It isn't-"  
" it looks like it is!" River yelled interrupting the doctor trying to explain "you should at least be able to tell that I'm in the same space as you! Doctor I'm your wife we should have a connection?"  
"Just let me explain" the doctor said trying to calm river down.  
"Go ahead explain! But that won't change my mind!" River said raising her voice again. The pain on the doctors face tells it all he knows that he loves river but he has grown so close to Clara and he knows how much he needs her in his life. She has saved him more than once and she gave him the best advice possible 'run' and he has been his entire life. The doctor took a deep breath and exhaled. River still looking very angry at him.  
"She is my impossible girl she jumped onto my timeline to save me she means a lot to me, I have saved her life and I have seen her die I just want her safe and to see her again made me feel a lot better even though I'm still not quite sure who I am yet." The doctor looked down at his hands a flipped them so his palms were facing up. River seemed disappointed with that answer. River reached for the doctors hand and ran it through his hair  
"you are still you still the 11th doctor" River remarked.  
"But- you on the other hand" the doctor reached over to hold rivers hand "you mean more to me then anything else in the universe professor song." He kissed her hand River smiled a bit the doctor always knew how to make her smile but she was still angry at him. The doctor moved in closer to kiss River she pulled away. her eyes welled up with tears.  
"How could you forget me?" River asked dropping her hand in anger  
"Nothing is forgotten not completely. I didn't forget you I promise and I always keep my promises" the doctor added as he held rivers hand to his cheek. "Professor River Song-"  
"Yes." River interrupted him.  
"But how did you?" The doctors brow furrowed.  
River stuck her blue book under his nose in a taunting way the doctor eyes following. A smile appeared on Rivers face, her tears dried up. The doctors face lit up.  
"Haha. Oh you?" The doctor pointing a finger a river. He pulled in closer river leaning in for a kiss River lent in too. They locked lips for what felt like an TARDIS made a screech the doctor pulled away looking to the centre console. He rushed to a panel and pressed one of the buttons she squealed again.  
"Hey sexy whats up, come on old girl talk to me?" The doctor pleading to his machine dragging a single finger along the edge of the centre console.  
"Voice interface activated" another figure appeared in the room. A little girl.  
"Amelia? No I don't want another person I want you." The doctor announced to the console. A woman appeared with teased hair and a green dress with a very high pitched voice.  
"Ahh that's where she is" he smiled at River. River looked very concerned at him, afraid to have another encounter with River the doctor quickly explained that the woman was the TARDIS and that he has never kissed her even though the she knew he was lying.  
"Then why do you call her sexy?" River moving towards the doctor again.  
"River. I have never known you as the jealous type. Or even thought of you like that for that matter." The doctor doing what he usually does turning on his heel to face River not in front of Idris and moving his hands around each other folding them in on them selves.  
"But that's not what I asked." River said stepping forward onto the doctors shoes. The doctor cringed in pain.  
"She wanted to be called sexy I didn't want to call her that but she insisted. I would much rather call her Idris." The doctor pleading is case as he pushed river off his feet. River crossed her hands across her chest with a stern look on her face.  
"1000 years old and you still can't understand why the woman you married is upset?" River remarked under her breath frustrated with the doctor. The doctor now turned around to face the woman in question and talking to her catching up like old friends laughing. River stopped waiting for the conversation to Finnish and just pulled the doctor along by his hand with the Idris following closely behind him. They came out of the TARDIS and joined Amy and Clara standing there talking the doctor imagined talking about what adventures they had been on with the doctor, catching up and making fun of him. The doctor stood back up and flattened his purple jacket.  
"now how could I have not regenerated?" The doctor said thinking aloud and pacing around the group of now four.  
"Maybe the whole changing faces and body stage hasn't started?" River suggested  
"No I felt the full force of the regeneration." The doctor answered. Looking down at the cloud pointing his finger at her.  
"Are regenerations always like this?" Clara asked  
"Maybe this one is different." Amy added Idris looked worried at all the questions being posed. The doctor fell to the ground holding one side of his body where one of his hearts rested. River rushed to his side, Clara close behind her and Amy rushing too.  
"Doctor what do you need? Anything at all just tell me." River remarked starting to get emotional once again. She grabbed the back of his head.  
"I..Ah..I want my Clara the impossible girl my impossible girl." The doctor remarked very slowly between his screams of agony. River gave Clara a death stare and moved back to allow Clara in and around the doctors body squirming around on the ground, Clara got to her knees and down to the doctors level her hands neatly resting around the doctors jawline.  
"Clara. Please tell me this. That you will ah stay safe I can't guarantee that I will stay with you." The doctor whispered making sure that Amy and River didn't hear.  
"No. No doctor please don't leave please." Clara now hysterical at his side  
"Clara I know that you will stay safe you are my impossible girl and you will always be Clara Oswin Oswald. To me." The doctor added as he fell silent.  
"DOCTOR DOCTOR! No please please tell me you can do something to get him back River please please make something do something just please get the doctor back." Clara yelled as her emotions became very clear.  
"I can't." River whispered "this is the fall of the 11th and this is the end."They all just stand there in silence as the doctors body laid there peacefully.


	4. A little blue book

**Disclaimer: I do not own doctor who.**

**as always reviews appreciated.**

"The TARDIS. what will happen to it?" Clara asked breaking the silence between them all not looking up from the doctors body.  
"I will take you all home I don't expect you to stay in Victorian London. I don't know what I will do I have always been in the doctors possession?" Idris remarked "I have been here since the day he started running. I'm his type 40 TARDIS that he stole."  
"So have I.. started running that is." Clara added walking towards the woman. "Your? Your the TARDIS? No wonder the doctor talks to like your a real your the TARDIS you should know what to do with a TimeLord that hasn't regenerated?"  
"The doctor has always regenerated and changed faces." Idris explained.

River got something out of her pocket a rectangular machine and scanned the doctor. Different tones of beeps and bloops came out of the machine once those noises had stopped she looked very concerned at the screen. River dropped the machine and picked up her blue book and flipped through the pages frantically. Amy looking to River for an answer.  
"It doesn't say anything." She said still flicking through the pages. "After that point." A single tear rolled down rivers cheek onto the pages on the book. Clara came rushing to Rivers side looking over her shoulder to read the book that she didn't quite understand what it was used for.  
"What do you mean there is no writing. There are words written on the page?" Clara remarked questioning Rivers statues as a professor. River looked down at the blue book and she still didn't see anything on the page.

"Clara this is important! Read to me what it says" river looked up at her smiling at Clara. Clara ripped the book out of Rivers hands and sat it in hers.  
"Rule one the doctor lies?" Clara said looking up from the book. "What exactly is this?" Clara asked as she flicked through the pages looking at all the writing.  
"It's a diary? One that the doctor and I both share. We are both time travellers and we both travel in different directions my past is his future, we never meet in the right order so I keep a record." River explained  
"Then you should know how to fix it? Shouldn't you?" Clara asked  
"No not all the time?" River said as she saddened at the site of her husband dead she shook the thought out of her head.

"anyway" she sighed "my book says rule one the doctor lies? That means the doctor isn't dead. And he wasn't regenerating he must have known something we didn't" river said thinking aloud.  
"But if he really did make you think-" Idris said trying to contribute  
"No he couldn't have?" River interrupted  
"He could have you have seen how they interact of course that's what he would have done."  
"Done what?" Clara interrupted  
"Kept you safe?" Idris answered "he sent you away in the safest ship in the universe. To keep you safe" she continued. Clara smiled at the fact that he cared that much.

"Why are you even in Victorian London?" River asked  
"That doctor said that when he first met me he. uh?" Clara stopped and looked at River "he just wanted to show me where he had met me that's all?" She continued  
"Is that really it?" River asked. Crossing her arms across her chest  
"Yeah?" Clara replied very un-convincingly  
"Ok" river remarked pushing that off to one side. "He must have known that victorian London Clara were coming and he was trying to prevent a time paradox."  
"What do you mean by a time paradox?" Clara asked.  
"I mean that if the Victorian London Clara saw you somethings may be very different from what they are at the moment." River replied  
"Well how do we solve this problem. We do have a dead TimeLord on our hands?" Clara said pointing at the doctors body.  
"Amy go into the TARDIS and see wether there is any flammable liquid. We are going to have to do what we did on the beach." River remarked Amy entered the TARDIS shutting the door behind her.  
"What are you going to do?" Clara asked hugging the doctor  
"We are going to have to burn him, his body can be used as a weapon we need to get rid of him" river asked falling to the doctors side next to Clara.

Amy came out of the TARDIS with a red can that looked very familiar to Clara.  
"Can we get off this cloud if we are going to do it can we do it right?" Clara suggested as she stopped River taking the can off Amy.  
"Ok where can we go?" Idris asked  
"Trenzalore" Clara added as she reached for the doctors bow tie "we are going to go there that's where his grave is."  
"That's great and all but we have one problem how are we going to get him into the TARDIS?" River remarked.


	5. Getting to Trenzalore

"I can materialise around him?" Idris suggested  
"Right" River sighed "lets get to it. Amy go with Idris in the TARDIS-"  
"I'm staying with him." Clara interrupted "I know where you are going with this, you go I will stay I'm not that stupid." Clara now raising her voice  
"The doctor pretended to regenerate for you. Just to save you. He must know something we don't I have to keep you safe. Could you please just go with Amy?" River explained  
"Ok" Clara sighed as she followed Amy into the TARDIS. River turned to face the doctor on the ground.  
"Don't you dare tell me I don't do anything for you?" She whispered as she fiddled with his hair. Clara entered the main console room of the TARDIS as she did, Amy grabbed her hand and pulled her towards herself.  
"What is going on with you and the doctor, because River is very upset." Amy now turning into a mother trying to sort something out like she was a teacher in a playground.  
"I just thought that's what happened when you were a companion you are expected to do that?" Clara replied  
"No. I was a companion before I was Rivers mother and the doctor didn't do anything like that with me. I just want to know do you have feelings for-" Amy's image disappeared. Clara ran to where Idris was standing with the scanner screen in front.  
"I'm running low on power you are going to have to fly me near a supernova to get my power back up." Idris said struggling to take a breath  
"What happened to the eye of harmony? TimeLord engineering what happened to the whole take it from its galaxy or whatever and put it into a constant state of decay?" Clara yelled to an empty room. She looked to the the screen that she was standing in front of. 'Trenza-' she said aloud confused.  
"But how. she wasn't going to leave them alone outside? Was she?" Clara said thinking aloud "can you go to the doctor? Will you please. for me Idris?" Clara begged, next thing she knew River and the doctor were in the room with her. Clara stood there looking at River and thought 'what did Amy mean? That river is upset? I have saved the doctor numerous times. I'm always going to be in his life just..like..a...wife.' And it hit her 'That must be why River is upset she thought I was taking over as a wife for the doctor when she wasn't there?'  
"Sweetie are you ok? U have been standing there the entire time. We have arrived in Trenzalore. Come on. We need to do this. By the way where are Amy and Idris?" River interrupted Clara's train of thought.  
"Yeah. Ah I'm fine just a little emotional that's all. Knowing this is the last time I get to see his face. Amy left half way through a sentence and Idris said that she is running low on power and she needs to be flown near a supernova." Clara stated  
"Well" River sighed "because you can't fly the TARDIS I will have to leave you two alone at his grave, while I 'recharge' her."  
"The doctor never had to recharge her." Clara added  
"He always has to do it. You just don't see it." River explained "you go over to the doctor and I will put you outside." Clara walked over to to the doctor and kneeled down next to him. Clara looked back to where River was standing, she was busy pressing buttons to get Clara outside the TARDIS. Clara found herself in a very familiar environment that was very dark, and very overwhelming. Headstones were surrounding her they looked like little soldiers all lined up in little rows edging closer with every breath she took.  
"Doctor please. Don't make this the end. fight. It's impossible I know but please. Hey I'm your impossible girl." Clara giggled as tears rolled down her cheeks "this may just be what you need to get you back." She closed her eyes letting images of their previous adventures. Before she knew it. She was asleep in the doctors arms.

She woke up to movement underneath her, her eyes fluttered adjusting to the movement she sat up quickly with the doctor standing up, looking down at Clara.  
"Run!" The doctor yelled. Clara scrambled to her feet. When she felt that she was a safe distance away she glanced behind her to see what she was running from there was nothing there. She stopped in her tracks and just stood there. 'No whisper men' she thought 'so what are we running from?' The doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her a safe distance away.  
"River. You can't ask questions you just have to run I will explain later." The doctor blurted out  
"River? I'm Clara." She exclaimed  
"Now! You want to do this now! Professor song you need to trust me." The doctor begged looking around for a way out of the mess that he had obviously created  
"I do trust you I have always trusted you . I'm Clara." She tried to explain again. A cold breeze hit her skin. The doctors eyes scanned the area for a quick escape route. His eyes widened "in here!"


End file.
